


The Masks She Wears

by ladyoneill



Series: Lady O's Teen Wolf Bingo Stories [36]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Body Image, Established Relationship, F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:18:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1421206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyoneill/pseuds/ladyoneill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After they make love for the first time, Lydia feels free enough to truly be herself in front of Stiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Masks She Wears

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Cotton Candy Bingo prompt "food". I added "body image" as a tag but it's mild and I'm not sure it's the correct tag. Basically, Lydia doesn't want people to see her eat a lot of food until she truly trusts them.

At lunch she always eats a salad with a vitamin water. At pack meetings she might pick at the smallest piece of pizza or eat half a portion of stir fried vegetables. The coffees she orders are always skinny with sugar free syrup. On their first ten dates she nibbles on food, orders chicken or salad or fish and eats only half, drinks only a diet soda at the movies.

She never eats off his plate, no matter how many times he offers. Never dips her hand into his large buttered popcorn. Never takes a sip of his thick milkshakes. 

It's not until after the first time they make love that he sees her true nature. It's as if she's committed to him now, so being real is her only option.

As he's still a limp noodle sprawled across her bed, Lydia fetches the pizza they ordered earlier and didn't eat. Wearing only his shirt, buttoned low between her breasts and barely covering her curvy hips, she curls against the headboard next to him and devours two loaded pieces of pizza.

Stiles stares at her in awe until his own stomach rumbles and he reaches for one of the remaining slices. They eat in silence until there's only one piece left and when his hand twitches to it, she actually clears her throat and he jerks his fingers away, letting her have it.

"Um..."

"Appearances, Stiles. Young women don't eat whole plates full of fatty foods or double cheeseburgers or pints of ice cream." With a smile, she tears the final slice in half and gives the smaller part to him.

"Okay?" He's still confused because teenage girls confuse him. He doesn't care if she wants to eat. Okay, it's a hell of a lot cheaper for him that she doesn't, but she's beautiful. Curvy, in good shape, skin firm and yet soft, too. And, anyway, he loved her when she was eight, a scrawny little thing with too much red hair and a sunburned nose. For him, the draw has never been her looks.

"I like to eat," Lydia baldly proclaims. "I just need to be comfortable enough with someone to share that with them."

"Oh." Oh. A goofy grin crosses his face at which she rolls her eyes. "You know, I don't care if you want to eat whatever you want in public."

"Yes, but I still have appearances to maintain." Closing the empty pizza box, she lowers it to the floor, then slides down to curl against him, smiling when Stiles' arm automatically goes around her to hold her closer. "Some day I won't care," she murmurs into his shoulder.

"Is this like you hiding your brain?" he asks softly.

"Yes."

"You showed me that true side of yourself, too."

"You always saw it."

He smiles and kisses the top of her head. "Okay, Lyds. Whatever you want. I'm happy to bring you secret cheeseburgers and curly fries."

"I knew you'd understand." Sleepy and full, she curls a hand over his heart and drifts to sleep.

Yeah, he understands. He always understands her. He's always understood her, all her layers and intrigues. Teenage girl and ageless woman. The masks she wears for the world and the truths she reveals to a very few.

Stiles will keep her confidence until it's no longer necessary.

That's just a part of love, right?

End


End file.
